Water softeners

[Chiefjim]

Recently moved into a mid 70's built house in south Texas. The house was plumbed for a water softener with the connection in the garage.

Evidently this was a planned event as the structure has exterior spigots for both softened and regular water.

Am concerned by the lack of a drain anywhere in the garage. Would a drain not be required 10, 20, 30 years ago? Might there be an alternative method?

Seriously considering adding a water softening system to the house. Any dangers doing so after a previous unit that was removed perhaps decades earlier?

[Arthur Conan Doyle]

If you are on a septic system, your local code may prohibit discharge of a softener into the septic system. A dry well outside is the traditional solution. Since they never installed a softener, they probably never drilled the well. Surface discharge is a really bad idea if you wish to preserve nearby vegitation.

What makes you think a previous system existed? The presence of separate taps for hard and soft water is a pretty standard practice in new construction and has been so for decades.

They only concern I would have is lime buildup on shower fixtures. That's easily treatable and has no bearing on installation of a softener.